Chicago police release body camera footage of man killed by officers

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The man Chicago police shot and killed Saturday appeared to be reaching for a gun in his waistband, according to body camera footage released by the department on Sunday.

Chicago police released two versions of the same video. One of the versions showed the events in real time and the other was in slow motion. Both versions showed four officers approaching Harith Augustus, 37. In the video, officers trie to grab Augustus, who pushes the officers’ arms away and flails his arms. Augustus then rolls over the hood of a police vehicle and appears to reach to the right side of his waistband, where police say they saw a gun.

Neither of the videos has sound, said Superintendent of Police Eddie T. Johnson, because the first 30 seconds of audio buffers as soon as the videos are activated. Johnson also said the video has been edited to zoom in, freeze and slow down on key parts (like showing the waistband).

“Last night was a very difficult situation for everyone involved. On one hand we had a loss of life, which no matter the circumstances is always tragic,” Johnson said during a Sunday news conference. “On the other hand, this is a very difficult position for the police officers in our community.”